Beauty

I woke up this morning feeling fabulous. 

I tell you this because it was quite surprising, as I had consumed more champagne than I had intended the prior evening at a birthday celebration my girlfriends' had held for Chrissy.  She would've been 43.  Would've been. It still doesn't seem real. (I don't have the emotional strength to go through the story so read here if you aren't familiar).

I was feeling so good that I decided to take Scout on a jog before my Outdoor Athletic Training class. Bad idea.  Apparently all those Kir Royales were masking the pain from Wednesday's class because less than a mile in to our route I could barely walk.  I limped home with tears in my eyes and collapsed on the couch in despair.  

An hour later I awoke to realize I had missed class entirely.  As I drudged toward the shower I realized this may have been a good omen, as I was still in extreme pain. I was also pretty pissed off. Had I really worked the past 4 months only to wind up back where I started - or even behind where I started?  I was feeling so motivated psychologically - why the hell was my body fighting me?

Ironically as I asked myself this question my phone pinged with a text from Sandy. Though I am sure she was disappointed, she didn't condemn me for missing class. She, instead, helped me through the shin splint exercises she'd e-mailed me earlier in the week and added a suggestion for a natural anti-inflammatory. This is the kind of thing that makes Clay so special - personal attention that is truly from the heart. These people really love me as much as I love them. Wow.

A few hours later I'd come down from my anger and decided to take Scout for a walk - one where it wasn't about pace or time or distance - but merely to make my little buddy happy.  During this walk I let him pee on whatever he wanted as many times as he wanted and attempted not to complain when he sniffed every damn little thing. Knowing how much I love my dog you'd think I'd do this more often, but as a working mom with busy kids and a husband who is rarely home my exercise time is pretty precious.  I'm pointed about my workouts - heart rate above 75% of max., calories burned over 400 and a marked increase in speed. No time for lollygagging around the neighborhood pond.

I resigned myself this afternoon, however, to dedicating the walk solely to what Scout needed (and what my body was truly capable) and something pretty magical happened.  I saw something - some things, rather, that I'd been missing in my race to improve.  I saw beauty.  Right here in Redfields - on the paths I run on a daily basis -  there was beauty blooming everywhere.  Flowers, grasses, trees...it was incredible.  

If I've learned nothing else this year it's that every day we have is a blessing.  

Take time to enjoy the beauty of it.